The human form was elaborated through the animal kingdom, but the spirit was not elaborated there. When the nerve-principle had done its best, had fulfilled its highest possible condition, and had brought form to join upon spirit, the condition of spirit was induced into this form; and the induction of that spirit raised the form of the animal kingdom into the human kingdom; and the first man thus stood forth, produced by the divine breath breathing into him, consequently the difference between the lowest man and the highest animal was very slight. The man, to be sure, takes his animal body, appetites, senses, and the laws which govern in the development of his body, from the animal, but not that which pertained to his spiritual, nature. It received this from above by the induction of the divine principle which took hold of the form and raised him out of the animal kingdom; so that man does not trace his parentage to the animal but to God. He has been begotten by the spirit and power of God, operating through every plane of being and action from the crystal to the divine. I detract nothing from the divine wisdom and power when I say that God works in an orderly and methodic manner. Forms are of the earth, but the spirit is from heaven. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the lord from heaven.
Every operation on the material side of the universe looks to the ultimating of a form which shall be so perfect as to become receptive of a spirit which shall be capable of living forever, of being conscious of all that is, of being truly affected by that which it perceives. There is not an operation in nature, not even the progress of the comet in its path, which does not look to the production of a human being, the production of an immortal soul. There is not a manifestation of power or wisdom in the world which is not laboring and conspiring to accomplish this great end of producing a son, a child of God, which shall be capacitated to be receptive of its divine origin. We shall eventually see that every law which we now think is working for destruction, is but the going forth of the divine power to produce the being, man.
I said that man was not immortal in consequence of his spirit-individuality alone. The reason that man is immortal is very manifest. The highest principle in the animal individuality is the nerve-principle, the principle of consciousness which can perceive material forms and material phenomena. That interior principle is not unfolded in the animal. The inmost principle of the animal, I grant, is spiritual, but that principle is not individualized. The animal has only the nerve-principle, but in the spirit-principle; and joining perceive facts and phenomena; but he can not perceive relations—has no desire after relations—and knows nothing of moral duties. He can not be active in that way, because his highest individuality is his mere nervous individuality. God does not breathe into the animal that breath of life which makes him a living soul. But man is individualized not only in this nerve-principle, but in the spirit-principle; and joining upon the infinite he does take the divine breath into him as the inmost principle of his being. Man is immortal by his relation to the self-sufficient and self-existent. It is his _relation_ to God that makes him immortal. The animal is not immortal, because he has not this relation. Man having this higher principle individualized in him becomes a religious being.